Flat mop and support plate therefor

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a flat mop which comprises a support plate ( 1 ) connected to a mop cover ( 2 ), said support plate ( 1 ) having a stripper ( 3 ) for removing the mop cover ( 2 ) from the support plate ( 1 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is the national phase of PCT/EP2012/002387, filed Jun. 5, 2012, which claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2011 107 319.5, filed Jul. 6, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a flat mop including a support plate that is connectable with a mop cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flat mops such as described above are generally known. One example of such a flat mop includes a rectangular support plate with the support plate enclosed by a pocket-shaped, rectangular mop cover that is open on one of its longitudinal sides. Dry, unused mop covers are pulled onto the support plate by hand.

One disadvantage with known flat mops is that dirty and wet mop covers have to be removed by hand from the support plate after use. This is cumbersome, unhygienic, and therefore very unpleasant, for the user of the flat mop.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to further develop a flat mop of the previously known type to provide simplified handling, in particular, such that a used mop cover can be removed from the support plate without direct contact with the user's hands.

To this end, a flat mop is provided that includes a support plate that is connected with a mop cover. The support plate has a stripper for the removal of the mop cover from the support plate.

If a used mop cover is to be removed from the support plate by a user, the stripper can be employed without the user having to touch the mop cover with his hands. The changing of the mop cover is thus implemented in a simple and hygienically satisfactory manner.

The support plate can be covered with the mop cover in a form-locking manner. To this end, provision can be made so that the mop cover is made, for example, in the shape of a pocket and rectangular. The mop cover can have a closed longitudinal side and two closed transverse sides and an open longitudinal side, into which the support plate is introduced and thus is connected with the mop cover. The corners of the open longitudinal side reach, in a form-locking manner, around the corresponding corners of the support plate.

The support plate can have at least one corner that is enclosed in a form-locking manner by the mop cover. The stripper for the removal of the mop cover may be arranged so it can swivel around the corners.

For the removal of the mop cover from the support plate, the mop cover is pulled down by the stripper around the corners of the support plate. Subsequently, the mop cover falls independently off the support plate, especially if the mop cover is wet and heavy after use.

The stripper can be made of a polymeric material. Polymeric materials, as compared for example to metal materials, have the advantage that they are light and rust-free and are thus particularly suitable for use in cleaning devices. Furthermore, polymeric materials can be frequently processed in a simple and low-cost manner, so that the components thus produced (e.g., the support plate) can be manufactured simply and at low cost.

The stripper can be configured as a folding lever. A folding lever is a component that can be simply produced and can be simply connected with the support plate. The movement course of the folding lever is immediately clear for the user. In this way, the function of the folding lever and the mode of its operation are self-explanatory.

The folding lever can be made substantially flush with the surface of the support plate. The substantially surface-flush integration of the folding lever into the support plate during use of the flat mop enables the mop cover to be uniformly pressed on the floor and thus enables a uniform cleaning result. Additionally, this configuration produces no disturbing projections that could hinder simple assembly or dismantling of the mop cover. Furthermore, the cleaning of the support plate following use of the flat mop is simplified. The smooth surface minimizes the danger of the folding lever causing an injury to the user.

The folding lever can have a U-shaped profile that is located on a congruently designed guide bridge of the support plate during the proper or normal use of the flat mop. The guide bridge is thereby a component of the longitudinal side of the support plate. If the folding lever is held on the guide bridge with a U-shaped profile, then the folding lever fits into the support plate so the folding lever is flush with the surface. The connection of the folding lever with the guide bridge is preferably carried out in a force-locking manner with clamps. The clamping force with which the folding lever is situated on the guide bridge is dimensioned or selected such that the folding lever is held securely on the guide bridge when the flat mop is properly used and can be detached from the support plate by the user of the flat mop in order to strip off the mop cover without any problems even if the folding lever is moist and/or slippery.

The folding lever can be brought to a stripping position against the elastic force of a retaining spring. The retaining spring provides additional security against an unintended detachment of the folding lever from the guide bridge. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the folding lever to a large extent automatically springs back to its starting position following the stripping of the mop cover from the support plate. The handling of the flat mop is thus simplified.

The stripper can be formed by a strap that is articulated in the corner and that can swivel around the corner. As compared to the previously described folding lever, a strap can be produced more simply and with an even lower cost. Due to the simple construction, a damaged strap can be replaced by a user quickly and simply. A provisional repair, for example, can be easily done using a cable strap forming a loop.

The stripper can be conducted in a sliding block guide in the support plate and can swivel around the corner. Such a sliding block guide can be designed, for example, in the shape of a simple slit in the support plate with the slit in the plate extending from the plate parallel to the longitudinal side of the support plate. Such a sliding block guide can be produced simply and at low cost, but, as compared to the articulation or joint described below, has disadvantages with regard to the handling of the stripper.

The folding lever can be connected with the support plate with an articulation or joint located in the corner. Such a joint has the advantage that the folding lever is always defined and moves the same way and is conducted exactly through the joint.

The dismantling of the mop cover from the support plate is carried out by swiveling the folding lever to the stripping position through the open longitudinal side of the mop cover around the joint located in the corner, until the folding lever carries along the mop cover, located in a form locking manner over the corner, beyond the corner and, in this way, the mop cover falls from the support plate.

The joint can be formed by an axle located in the corner, around which the folding lever can swivel. For example, the joint can be formed separately and the axle formed by a sleeve, which is located in the support plate and around which the folding lever can swivel.

In order to attain compact dimensions of the joint, the joint can be configured, in part, as one piece or unitary with and uniformly made of the same material as the folding lever. For example, the axle around which the folding lever rotates can form a one-piece component of the folding lever and snaps in a fork-shaped holder of the support plate. The fork-shaped holder is thereby located, for example, on the end of the guide bridge, which leads into the end around which the mop cloth is pulled. Both the axle, constructed as one piece with the folding lever, as well as the fork-shaped holder can be made of a polymeric material. The fork-shaped holder is preferably designed as one piece with the support plate and is uniformly made of the same material.

According to another embodiment, the joint can be formed by a film hinge, which extends around the corner. Such a construction is particularly simple and low-cost. The film hinge must thereby be designed in such a manner that it is sufficiently dimensionally stable to strip the mop cover over the cover of the support plate while being sufficiently elastic so as to also not fatigue/break in continuous operation. Such a design ensures that the flat mop has consistently good usage characteristics during a long period of use.

With reference to the support plate, the film hinge can be designed as a separate component and can be affixed to the support plate. The affixing can be carried out, for example, by a screw connection. If necessary, the stripper and/or the film hinge can be replaced independently of the support plate.

According to another embodiment, the film hinge can be designed as one piece with and be made uniformly of the same material as the support plate. The manufacturing is thus simplified.

The joint can be made of a polymeric material. The joint can thus also be made rust-free, lightweight, and in a simple manner.

The folding lever can have an actuation handle on the side turned away from the joint. The actuation handle can simplify the stripping of the mop cover from the support plate without direct hand contact. The user grips the actuation handle and, in this way, leads the folding lever to the stripping position.

The actuation handle can be made of a rubber-elastic material. Such a construction has the advantage that the actuation handle can not break off, is durable for a particularly long time, and when mopping, cannot damage, for example, the surface to be cleaned and/or the furniture standing on the surface to be cleaned, regardless of the mopping direction of the flat mop.

The support plate can be made rectangular with two longitudinal and two transverse sides. With such a configuration of the support plate, the mop cover can be designed in the shape of a pocket that is closed on three of its sides. Additionally, one of the longitudinal sides of the mop cover and the two transverse sides of the mop cover can be designed closed and the other longitudinal side of the mop cover, which is open for the introduction of the support plate into the mop cover, can have closed corners for the form-locking holding of the mop cover on the support plate.

Such a flat mop can be used universally. The mop cover preferably has two mopping surfaces. The two mopping surfaces can be the same or different with regard to their characteristics. In this way, either cleaning can be carried out with a mop cover for a particularly long time or surfaces with different degrees of soiling can be cleaned, for example, in stages. The one longitudinal side of the support plate that is associated with the open longitudinal side of the mop cover can thereby have an opening through which a shaft, preferably connected via a cardan joint with the support plate, can be swiveled.

Regarded from the joint, in the direction of the folding lever, the closed corners can cover 20 to 50% of the length of the folding lever. The cover is selected such that a reliable form-locking connection of the mop cover with the support plate exists while allowing, if necessary, the mop cover to be stripped from the support plate. In a particularly preferred manner, the closed corner covers 30% of the folding lever, regarded from the joint, in the direction of the folding lever.

The support plate can be designed in a trapezoidal shape, with the shorter longitudinal side of the support plate enclosed by the closed longitudinal side of the mop cover. The described trapezoidal shape has the advantage that the stripping of the mop cover from the support plate without direct hand contact takes place in a particularly reliable manner. By having the corner, around which the mop cover is pulled from the support plate, located on the longer longitudinal side, the mop cover, pulled over this corner by means of the stripper, will slip with particular ease from the support plate without remaining hung on the transverse side of the support plate. Furthermore, due to the trapezoidal shape, room corners can be cleaned particularly well.

The open longitudinal side of the mop cover is surpassed toward the outside by the actuation handle. Such a development is sensible, so as to be able to grip the actuation handle without coming into direct hand contact with the mop cover.

The support plate can include a tension element and in this way, can be designed for stretching a mop cover with a change in the length. The tensioning element can be acted on by the force of a spring in the longitudinal direction of the support plate. Such a support plate is necessary when using a mop cover that is largely inelastic, so as to be able to cover the support plate with the mop cover in a form-locking manner. During the proper or normal use of the flat mop, the longitudinal sides of the support plate and mop cover are of substantially equal length, with the open longitudinal side of the mop cover with the closed corners having only one opening for the assembly on the support plate, which opening is shorter than the longitudinal side of the support plate. For assembly, therefore, the support plate must be pushed together to a shorter dimension until it is completely situated within the mop cover and subsequently returns to its original size. The mop cover then tautly encloses the support plate.

A variable length of the support plate for the assembly with the mop cover could also be achieved by designing the support plate to be pliable and elastically yielding. The support plate thereby can be elastically deformed to be assembled with the mop cover. With such a development, therefore, a separate tension element is not necessary.

As a function of the individual case of application, the lower dimensional stability of the pliable and elastically yielding support plate can be sufficient for a taut assembly of the mop cover on the support plate.

Furthermore, the invention provides a support plate for a flat mop, as previously described, including a stripper for the removal of the mop cover from the support plate. Such support plates can easily replace existing support plates so that the known flat mops can be operated with a support plate according to the invention so as to enable a removal of the used mop cover from the support plate without direct hand contact, as previously described, in a simple manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Three embodiment examples of the flat mop in accordance with the invention are shown below in FIGS. 1-8 and are described in detail in the following.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of a support plate (without a mop cover for the sake of improved clarity) for a flat mop in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the support plate of FIG. 1 with a pulled-on mop cover.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the support plate of FIG. 1 in which the stripper for the removal of the mop cover is detached from the guide bridge of the support plate.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the support plate of FIG. 3 with a pulled on mop cover.

FIG. 5 is enlarged, schematic plan view of a section of a support plate of a flat mop in accordance with the invention with an alternative embodiment of a stripper shown in a closed position.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the stripper of FIG. 5 showing its movement to the stripping position.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the stripper of FIGS. 5 and 6 in the stripping position.

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of a section of another exemplary embodiment example of a support plate for a flat mop according to the invention in which the stripper is shaped different from the strippers of FIGS. 1-4 and 5-7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a flat mop according to the invention in which the mop cover is not shown.

FIG. 10 is a schematic side elevation view of the flat mop of FIG. 9 in which the mop cover is being stripped from the support plate by the stripper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1-4, a first embodiment example of a flat mop in accordance with the invention is shown.

For the sake of better clarity, the flat mop is shown without the mop cover 2 in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The flat mop from FIGS. 1-4 comprises a support plate 1 made of a polymeric material. The support plate 1 has a stripper 3. The support plate 1 has a corner 4 that is enclosed in a form-locking manner by the mop cover 2. For the removal of the mop cover 2, the stripper 3 is swiveled around the corner 4. The mop cover 2 is thereby pulled over the corner 4, so that it falls down from the support plate 1, without direct hand contact from the person using the flat mop.

The support plate 1 has a trapezoidal configuration in the illustrated embodiment and has two longitudinal sides 16, 17 and two transverse sides 18, 19. The mop cover 2 has the shape of a pocket and is designed closed on three 20, 22, 23 of its sides 20, 21, 22, 23. The open longitudinal side 21 for the introduction of the support plate 1 into the mop cover 2 has closed corners 24, 25 in order to be able to hold the support plate 1 in a form-locking manner in the mop cover 2. The shorter longitudinal side 16 of the support plate is enclosed by the closed longitudinal side 20 of the mop cover 2.

In order to be able to introduce the support plate 1 into the open longitudinal side 21 of the mop cover 2 between the two closed corners 24, 25, the support plate 1 has a tension element 27. When covering the support plate 1 with the mop cover 2, the tension element 27 is pushed back, under the effect of the force of a spring, in the longitudinal direction 28 of the support plate until the support plate 1 passes through the open longitudinal side 21 of the mop cover 2. Subsequently, the tension element 27 automatically moves back into its starting position shown in FIGS. 1-4, so that the mop cover 2 is placed in a form-locking manner, free of folds, and tautly on the support plate 1.

In FIG. 1, the stripper 3 is formed by a folding lever 5, which has a U-shaped profile 6 and is thus clamped on the longer side 17 of the support plate 1.

The articulation or joint 12 located in the corner 4 is formed by a film hinge 14 in the illustrated embodiment. The hinge connects the support plate 1 and the folding lever 5 with one another.

For better handling, the folding lever 5 is provided with an actuation handle 15 made of a rubber-elastic material.

Furthermore, an opening designed as a holding handle 29 is located in the support plate 1 in the area of the front side, which is turned away from the tension element 27. During the pulling of the mop cover 2 onto the support plate 1, the user can hold the support plate 1 via the holding handle 29.

In FIG. 2, the support plate from FIG. 1 is covered with the mop cover 2. The open longitudinal side 21 of the mop cover 2 is surpassed to the outside by the actuation handle 15 of the folding lever 5, so that upon stripping the mop cover 2 from the support plate 1, the user grips the folding lever 5 only on the actuation handle 15 and subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4, the pulling over the corner 4 needs to be carried out.

In FIG. 3, the support plate 1 from FIG. 1 is shown, wherein the folding lever 5 is swiveled around the corner 4 by the joint 12 configured as a film hinge 14.

In FIG. 4, the operating state of the flat mop shown in FIG. 3, with the pulled-on mop cover 2 is shown. One can see that the mop cover 2, relative to the cardan joint 30 affixed on the shaft 31, is shifted toward the corner 4 in the longitudinal direction 28 of the support plate 1 against the spring force of the tension element 27, with the element located on the front side of the support plate 1 opposite the corner 4.

As soon as the folding lever 5 is conducted around the corner 4, the closed corner 25 of the mop cover 2 is also pulled over the corner 4 and slides down particularly well from the support plate 1 due to the trapezoid shape of the support plate 1. The stripping of the mop cover 2 from the support plate 1 by the stripper 3 is therefore carried out without direct hand contact by the user.

Two additional exemplary embodiment examples of a stripper 3 are shown in FIGS. 5-8. The flat mop with which the shown strippers 3 are used, does not otherwise differ from the flat mop shown in FIGS. 1-4. In FIGS. 5-7, a stripper 3 in the form of a folding lever 5 is shown that is designed flush with the surface of the support plate 1. The folding lever 5 during the proper or normal use of the flat mop is shown in FIG. 5. The folding lever 5 is clamped with its U-shaped profile 6 onto a congruently designed guide bridge 7 of the support plate 1. The folding lever 5 has a thickness that corresponds to the thickness of the support plate 1. In this way, the folding lever 5 is integrated into the support plate 1, flush with the surface.

The joint 12 in the corner 4 is formed by an axle 13 in the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7. The joint is designed in one piece with and uniformly of the same material as the folding lever 5. This axle 13 is located in a fork-shaped holder, which forms a one-piece component of the support plate 1.

In FIG. 6, the folding lever 5 is detached from the guide bridge 7 and shown on its way to the stripping position 9, which is shown in FIG. 7. The folding lever 5 is brought to the stripping position 9 against the spring force of a retaining spring 8, which is shown schematically.

In FIG. 7, the stripping position 9 of the folding lever 5 is reached, and the mop cover, which is not shown, slides down from the support plate 1 along the transverse side 19 following the corner 4.

In FIG. 8, a stripper 3 designed differently relative to the previous embodiments is shown. The stripper 3 is formed by a strap 10 that is articulated in the corner 4 and can swivel around the corner 4. The strap 10 is conducted in a sliding block guide 11. The sliding block guide 11 extends parallel to the longer longitudinal side 17 of the support plate and ends in the corner 4.

For removing the mop cover 2, which is not shown for the sake of better clarity, the strap 10 is gripped and moved to the corner 4 in the sliding block guide 11 in the longitudinal direction 28. The mop cover 2, as explained previously with regard to FIG. 4, is pulled around the corner 4 and subsequently falls from the support plate 1.

With all the illustrated exemplary embodiments, it is advantageous that the user of the flat mop does not come into direct contact with the mop cover 2 when actuating the stripper 3. In this way, the removal of the mop cover can be carried out in a manner that is hygienically satisfactory and simple and more pleasant for the user.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, another exemplary embodiment example of a flat mop in accordance with the invention is shown. The support plate 1 is provided, at least partially, with half of a Velcro fastener 32 on its side turned away from the shaft 31. The stripper 3 for removing the mop cover 2 shown in FIG. 10 is articulated on a transverse side 18 of the support plate 1 by a joint 12. The stripper 3 extends in the longitudinal direction 28 over the support plate 1 to the other transverse side 19 where an actuation handle 15 is provided. The stripper 3 can be made from a flexible material, such as a rubber-elastic material. The joint 12 can be constructed as one piece with the support plate 1. Also, a multipart configuration is also possible, for example, in the form of a hinge around which the stripper 3 can be swiveled. The actuation handle 15 is conducted around the transverse side 19 to strip the mop cover 2 from the support plate 1 in this exemplary embodiment so that it does not interfere with cleaning with the flat mop and can be gripped well by the user.

So as to be able to better see the details, the flat mop is shown without the mop cover in FIG. 9. In FIG. 10, the flat mop of FIG. 9 is shown with the mop cover 2 stripped from the support plate 1 by the stripper 3. The mop cover 2 is provided with the other half of the Velcro fastener 32 in the illustrated embodiment and is held by it on the support plate 1.

In order to strip the mop cover 2 from the support plate 1, the user grips the actuation handle 15 and swivels the stripper 3 around the joint 12 which is located in the area of the transverse side 18 of the support plate 1. During the stripping process, the Velcro fastener 32 is separated.

To affix a new mop cover 2, the stripper 3 is again brought to the position shown in FIG. 9. That can happen either in that the stripper 3 is also provided with a Velcro fastener on its side facing the support plate 1, or the actuation handle 15 encloses the transverse side 19 of the support plate 1 in a force-locking and/or form-locking manner. Subsequently, the mop cover 2 is connected with the support plate 1 by means of the Velcro fastener 32. The flat mop is, once again, ready for use. 

1-25. (canceled)
 26. A flat mop comprising a support plate and a mop cover connected to the support plate, wherein the support plate includes a stripper configured for removing the mop cover from the support plate.
 27. A flat mop according to claim 26, wherein the mop cover covers the support plate in a form-locking manner.
 28. A flat mop according to claim 26, wherein the support plate (1) has at least one corner that is enclosed in a form-locking manner by the mop cover and wherein the stripper is situated so it can swivel around the corner.
 29. A flat mop according to claim 26, wherein the stripper is made of a polymeric material.
 30. A flat mop according to claim 28, wherein the stripper comprises a folding lever.
 31. A flat mop according to claim 30, wherein the folding lever is arranged in a substantially flush relationship with a surface of the support plate.
 32. A flat mop according to claim 30, wherein the folding lever has a U-shaped profile that is located on a congruently designed guide bridge of the support plate during normal use of the flat mop.
 33. A flat mop according to claim 30, wherein the folding lever is movable to a stripping position against a force of a retaining spring.
 34. A flat mop according to claim 28, wherein the stripper comprises a strap that is articulated in the corner such that the strap can swivel around the corner.
 35. A flat mop according to claim 28, wherein the stripper is conducted in a sliding block guide in the support plate such that the stripper can swivel around the corner.
 36. A flat mop according to claim 30, wherein the folding lever is connected with the support plate by a joint located in the corner.
 37. A flat mop according to claim 36, wherein the joint comprises an axle located in the corner around which the folding lever can swivel.
 38. A flat mop according to claim 37, wherein the joint is configured to be, at least in part, unitary with and uniformly made with the same material as the folding lever.
 39. A flat mop according to claim 36, wherein the joint comprises a film hinge that extends around the corner.
 40. A flat mop according to claim 36, wherein the joint is made of a polymeric material.
 41. A flat mop according to claim 36, wherein the folding lever has an actuation handle on a side turned away from the joint.
 42. A flat mop according to claim 41, wherein the actuation handle is made of a rubber-elastic material.
 43. A flat mop according to claim 36, wherein the support plate has a rectangular configuration with two longitudinal sides and two transverse sides, the mop cover being designed in the shape of a pocket and being closed on three sides, the mop cover having an open longitudinal side for introducing the support plate into the mop cover, the mop cover having closed corners for holding the mop cover on the support plate in a form-locking manner.
 44. A flat mop according to claim 43, wherein the closed corners of the mop cover regarded from the joint in the direction of the folding lever cover approximately 20% to approximately 50% of a length of the folding lever.
 45. A flat mop according to claim 43, wherein the support plate has a trapezoidal configuration and a shorter longitudinal side of the support plate is enclosed by a closed longitudinal side of the mop cover.
 46. A flat mop according to one of claim 43, wherein the open longitudinal side of the mop cover is surpassed to an outside by an actuation handle of the folding lever.
 47. A flat mop according to claim 26, wherein the support plate includes a tension element configured such that a length of the support plate can be reduced when stretching the mop cover over the support plate.
 48. A flat mop according to claim 47, wherein the tension element is acted on by a spring force in a longitudinal direction of the support plate.
 49. A flat mop according to one of claim 26, wherein the support plate is configured so as to be pliable and elastically yielding.
 50. A support plate for a flat mop comprising a stripper configured for removing a mop cover from the support plate. 